EMMANUEL Macron and Angela Merkel have affected the progress of Brexit talks with their decision to prioritise domestic policy over talks with the UK, EU governance expert Guntram Wolff claimed.

The director of the Brussels-based Bruegel think-tank said Brexit is being delayed because of EU member states' focus on their national policies.

Talking about changing EU negotiator Michel Barnier's mandate to progress to Brexit trade talks, Mr Wolff said: "There is a will to get a deal but again, to change the mandate you would need to activate domestic processes, you need to prioritise this.

"I think Merkel is very much absorbed by her domestic considerations at this stage. And Emmanuel Macron, frankly speaking, also has a lot on his plate in terms of labour market reforms."

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Mr Wolff said Brexit is not a top priority for Mr Macron or Chancellor Merkel

Mr Wolff said Brussels has a "will" to reach an agreement with the UK, especially in regards to the so-called Brexit bill.

Speaking to the BBC, he added: "The EU has a big interest in finding some deal and getting the UK to pay especially for 2019-20 where the money is certainly needed.

"We are talking here £20bn to £30bn that would be missing."

In her monumental Florence speech, Prime Minister Theresa May announced Britain would continue to pay into the EU budget during a possible Brexit transitional period.

Mrs May claimed Britain will honour its obligations, saying: "I do not want our partners to fear they need to pay more as a result of our decision to leave

It comes as Brexit secretary David Davis urged the other 27 member states to loosen the terms of Michel Barnier's mandate, which has been blamed for stifling progress and dragging down the negotiations.

Germany, France and Romania are said to be blocking Mr Barnier from starting scoping on a transition deal with Britain, with Berlin in particular keen to secure cash promises from the UK first.

Mr Davis said: “I hope the member states will recognise the progress we’ve made and take a step forward in the spirit of the PM’s Florence speech. That’s how we move forward towards a deal that works for both the EU and the UK.

“The position we’re in now is defined by the Council’s criteria of sufficient progress. Clearly, we’d like them to give Michel the means to broaden the negotiations, it’s up to them whether they do it. I think it’s in the interests of Europe and the UK that they do.”